1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape drive device which records information on a recording tape and/or replays information recorded on the recording tape while winding the recording tape, which is provided with a leader member at a distal end portion thereof, on a winding reel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recording tapes such as magnetic tapes and the like are used as external recording media for computers and the like. For storing recording tapes, which take up little accommodation space when stored and can record large amounts of information, recording tape cartridges that accommodate in a case a single reel on which a recording tape is wound are employed.
When such a recording tape cartridge is used, that is, when information is to be recorded onto the recording tape and/or information recorded on the recording tape is to be replayed, the recording tape cartridge is loaded at a tape drive device. In the tape drive device at which the recording tape cartridge is loaded, a leader member attached at a distal end of the recording tape is drawn out of the case by drawing-out means.
The leader member is guided to a winding reel of the tape drive device by the drawing-out means, and the recording tape is wound up on this winding reel while being sequentially drawn out from the case. Hence, recording/replaying of information is carried out by a recording head or the like which is provided along a predetermined tape path.
When the recording tape is being wound up on the winding reel of the tape drive device, the leader member attached at the distal end of the recording tape is accommodated inside a reel hub which forms a winding surface of the winding reel.
Specifically, in a structure in which a block-like leader block is used as the leader member, the leader block is inserted into an insetting portion which is formed as a slit provided along a radial direction of the reel hub. In this state, an end surface of the leader block structures a portion of the winding surface of the reel hub. This end surface of the leader block is curvedly formed in an arc shape corresponding to the outer surface of the reel hub, so that the recording tape can be wound smoothly.
However, in a tape drive device provided with this conventional leader member-accommodating structure, the leader block structuring the portion of the winding surface is a structural member of the recording tape cartridge. In other words, this portion of the winding surface is structured by a different leader block for each recording tape cartridge that is loaded. As a result, individual differences in dimensional accuracy of the leader blocks cannot be absorbed at the tape drive device side, and a step that cannot be tolerated may be formed at the winding surface of the reel hub.
Such a step may cause creasing or deformation of the recording tape, and such creasing or deformation may be generated at a corresponding portion of the recording tape wound in succeeding layers, which is substantially a recording region (i.e., a xe2x80x9ctape impressionxe2x80x9d may occur). A portion of the recording tape at which such a tape impression (crease) has occurred will not maintain a proper separation from the recording head when undergoing recording/replaying of information. Therefore, occurrence of a region at which information cannot be recorded and/or a loss of recorded information may be caused.
In particular, when an opening width of the insetting portion of the reel hub which accommodates the block-like leader block is large (for example, if a width of the recording tape is 12.7 mm, an opening width at an outer peripheral portion of around 12 mm for a reel hub with a diameter of 50 mm), the effect of individual differences between leader block dimensions will be large, and the possibility that the problem described above will occur is high.
Accordingly, a structure in which a small cylindrical leader pin is used as a leader member of a recording tape cartridge has been employed. In this structure, a leader block is accommodated in a reel hub, together with the leader pin hooked at the leader block on the tape drive device side. This leader block is structured such that the leader block is moved by, for example, a cam mechanism, arm mechanism or the like provided with a pin which engages with a through-hole of the leader block, from a position at which the leader block hooks onto the leader pin, which is accommodated in a case (the recording tape cartridge), to a position at which the leader block is accommodated at the reel hub.
In this structure, the leader block of the tape drive device structures a portion of a winding surface when the leader block is accommodated in an insetting portion of the reel hub. That is, the leader block and the reel hub are both members of the tape drive device and have a one-to-one correspondence. Therefore, individual differences in dimensional accuracy between recording leader pins, as the components of the recording tape cartridge, have no effect with regard to steps in the winding surface.
However, in the case of the aforementioned leader block which structures drawing-out means and rotates integrally with the reel hub, when the leader pin and leader block are accommodated at the reel hub, the engagement of the pin of the cam mechanism or the like with the through-hole has to be released such that the cam mechanism or the like does not interfere with rotation of the reel hub. Consequently, the leader block becomes movable in the reel hub. As a result, in this structure, the positioning of the leader block is not carried out by the leader block""s abutting against at the reel hub. Moreover, the leader block has to be moved along a complex path corresponding to the predetermined tape path by a plurality of cam mechanisms, arm mechanisms and the like. Thus, displacement errors of the cam mechanisms, arm mechanisms and the like are aggregated. As a result, the leader block may be not accurately positioned in the reel hub.
Specifically, in this structure, due to the problem of accuracy in positioning the (tape drive device side) leader block relative to the reel hub, a step which causes a tape impression may occur at the winding surface, that is, between an opening periphery portion of the insetting portion of the reel hub and an end surface of the leader block.
An object of the present invention, in consideration of the circumstances described above, is to provide a tape drive device which can make steps that occur at a winding surface of a reel hub of a winding reel significantly smaller.
In order to achieve the above-described object, in the present invention, a tape drive device that winds a recording tape, which is provided with a leader member at a distal end portion thereof, at a winding reel while carrying out at least one of recording of information to the recording tape and replaying of information that has been recorded to the recording tape includes: a hollow reel hub which structures the winding reel and includes an outer peripheral surface which constitutes a winding surface for the recording tape; a window portion formed penetrating through a peripheral wall of the reel hub, the leader member being passable through the window portion; and a closing member disposed in the reel hub, the closing member being advanceable and withdrawable with respect to the window portion and, when the leader member has been fed into the reel hub, the closing member advancing to the window portion and structuring a portion of the winding surface.
In the tape drive device according to the present invention, when the leader member attached at the distal end of the recording tape passes through the window portion of the reel hub and is fed into the reel hub, the closing member advances from the inside of the reel hub to the window portion, and the closing member closes the window portion and structures the portion of the winding surface of the reel hub.
In this state, when the reel hub (the winding reel) rotates, a portion of the recording tape that passes out between the window portion and the closing member and is positioned at an outer side of the reel hub is wound at the winding surface, which is structured by the outer peripheral surface of the reel hub and the closing member, while recording of information and/or replaying of information recorded on the recording tape is carried out.
The closing member provided inside the reel hub advances to the window portion and structures the portion of the winding surface. In other words, the closing member structuring the portion of the winding surface is a structural component of the tape drive device. Therefore, steps will not be caused at the winding surface due to individual differences between leader members.
Moreover, the closing member provided in the reel hub can be advanced to the window portion (to structure the winding surface) by a simple operation (for example, just by a linear movement or a rotation or the like). Therefore, an operational error is small, and the closing member can be positioned in the reel hub with high accuracy for structuring the winding surface.
Accordingly, in the above-mentioned drive device based, positional accuracy of a closing member can be improved because dimensional accuracy of the closing member is controllable (i.e., is free of individual differences) with respect to a reel hub. Therefore, a step that occurs at a winding surface structured by the reel hub and the closing member can be diminished. That is, steps that are formed at the winding surface of the reel hub of the winding reel can be made smaller.
Further, regarding the dimension of the window portion of the reel hub, it suffices that the leader member can pass through the window portion of the reel hub. Therefore, if, for example, the structure corresponds to a small leader member such as a leader pin, influences of dimensional errors of the closing member can be reduced, which is even more favorable.
Further again, in a tape drive device having the structure described above, if the closing member, in a state of having advanced to the window portion, is positioned by directly abutting against the reel hub (for example, against an inner peripheral surface thereof, an engaging portion provided standing at the interior thereof, or the like), the positioning accuracy of the closing member is further improved, and a step in the winding surface is even further diminished.
In a second aspect of the present invention, another tape drive device that winds a recording tape, to a distal end portion of which a leader member is attached, at a winding reel while carrying out at least one of recording of information to the tape and replaying of information that has been recorded to the recording tape may include: a hollow reel hub which structures the winding reel and includes an outer peripheral surface which constitutes a winding surface for the recording tape; a window portion penetrating through a peripheral wall of the reel hub, and through which the leader member can pass; and an accommodation portion disposed in the reel hub and having a recess portion into which the leader member can be inserted, wherein, when recording and/or replaying is to be carried out, the leader member passes through the window portion and is fed into the recess portion, and the accommodation member moves in the reel hub and accommodates the leader member in the reel hub such that the leader member cannot come out.
In a tape drive device of this structure, the leader member attached at the distal end of the recording tape passes through the window portion of the reel hub and is fed into the recess portion of the accommodation member. Then, the accommodation member moves and the leader member is non-removably accommodated at the inside of the reel hub. That is, the accommodation member displaces, turns, rotates or the like from a state in which the recess portion opens (communicates) at the window portion, so as to accommodate the leader member positioned in the recess portion inside the reel hub such that the leader member cannot fall out. In this state, when the reel hub (the winding reel) rotates, a portion of the recording tape that passes out through the window portion and is positioned at an outer side of the reel hub is wound at the outer peripheral surface of the reel hub while the recording of information onto the recording tape and/or replaying of information recorded on the recording tape is carried out. According to this structure, it suffices if drawing-out means of the tape drive device guides the leader member as far as a feeding-in position of the recess portion. Thus, there is no need for the drawing-out means to be accommodated at the reel hub with the leader member (and to rotate integrally with the reel hub). Therefore, the drawing-out means (for example, a cam mechanism, an arm mechanism or the like) does not interfere with rotation of the reel hub, and thus particular counter-measures against such interference are not necessary. As a result, structure of the drawing-out means, that is, structure of the tape drive device, can be simplified.
Thus, if the above-described accommodation portion is employed in a tape drive device of the present invention, the structure of the drawing-out means is simplified and a step in the winding surface can be reduced to no more than a predetermined amount, which is favorable.
In the structure of the first aspect, in order to resist a pulling force, the recording tape may be, for example, nipped between the window portion and the closing member. However, in a structure in which the accommodating member is provided along with the closing member, there is no need for the recording tape to be nipped (held) between the window portion and the closing member. Thus, a degree of freedom of design is enhanced. Moreover, if the structure is a structure in which the closing member is provided at the accommodation member, or the accommodation member also functions as the closing member (i.e., the accommodation member and the closing member are integrated), a number of components can be reduced and structure can be simplified, which is even more favorable.